Pilgrimage: El Rufai’s ban on sponsorship affected only Christians – Sheikh Maraya

Former Governor of Kaduna State, Malam Nasir El Rufai, sponsored pilgrims for Hajj but discontinued the sponsorship of Christian pilgrims to Jerusalem passim his eight-year tenure, Sheikh Haliru Maraya has said.

El Rufai had banned the sponsorship of pilgrims successful 2015, citing fiscal prudence and the request to negociate Kaduna State’s indebtedness profile.

Sheikh Haliru Maraya, a subordinate of Kaduna State Special Hajj Committee, who made this known astatine a property briefing connected Monday, pointed retired that El Rufai’s prohibition was selectively applied.

‘’At look value, the argumentation appeared to use uniformly to some Muslim and Christian pilgrims. However, consequent developments revealed a divergence betwixt argumentation pronouncement and argumentation implementation,’’ helium said.

According to Sheikh Maraya, El Rufai had sponsored astir 985 pilgrims to Saudi Arabia, comprising 730 officials and 255 sub-officials, but ‘’within the aforesaid period, determination is nary grounds of immoderate Christian pilgrim receiving authorities sponsorship to Jerusalem.’’

Sheikh Maraya pointed retired that ‘’while Christian pi...